Loose Ends and Ceiling Tiles
by Blynneda
Summary: A 'missing scene' from "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake." Just a little wrap-up, nothing special.


_Okay, no real plot here.  Or point, for that matter.  I'm really just playing around with the characters to get a feel for them, in preparation for a bigger story, original and even (gasp!) with a plot.  So here's a missing scene from "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake."  It takes place shortly after the last scene, but before the epilogue (where Sharona asks for her money).  Enjoy!_

_Ah, yes.  Perhaps I should disclaim myself.  Yes, I don't own Monk.  Somebody does, and they're making money off it.  I'm certainly not, more's the pity._

                                    **Loose Ends and Ceiling Tiles**

            "You saved my life, Adrian," Sharona said with relief.  Her face still betrayed the shock and despair she'd felt at discovering her latest dream man—and a woman she thought was her friend—was actually a murderer.  Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered.

            "I know," Monk replied coolly.  He'd had to be dragged out of Sharona's apartment, where he'd completely ignored the official police proceedings to focus on the more important issue of lifting the ceiling off the floor, piece by piece.  Now, however, he had regained his composure.  He was acting more normal than anyone else in the police station, which was still bustling with activity from the latest aftershocks.

            Sharona stared at Monk.  Other than the occasional twitch of a hand, he sat perfectly still, patiently awaiting Captain Stottlemeyer's return.  After Darryl Wright's apprehension, Stottlemeyer brought Sharona and Monk to the station for questioning.  Sharona couldn't stop shaking the entire car ride—her brash exterior had melted as soon as the situation hit home.  Monk, however, was curiously calm.  If Sharona didn't know better, she might think he was smugly satisfied.

            Captain Stottlemeyer entered the office, Lt. Disher in tow.  "He's in custody now, Sharona.  You don't have to worry about him anymore."

            "Oh, thank _God_."  Sharona covered her face with her hands.

            "Monk?"  Stottlemeyer raised an eyebrow in the former detective's direction.  "You talking English again?"

            Monk looked back innocently.  "I always speak English."

            Sharona glanced up.  "He didn't have another dissociative episode, did he?"

            "_No_, I didn't," Monk said vehemently.

            "He called me up, something real important, but I couldn't understand what he was saying," Stottlemeyer explained.  "Your sister told me he thought you were in trouble."

            "What am I going to do with him?"  Sharona glanced at Monk in amazement.  "How did you know?"

            "Christine's phone records," Monk said simply.

            "I brought them to your sister's place earlier," Disher interjected enthusiastically.   "Tell me, is your sister…seeing anyone?"

            Sharona glared at Disher.  "Yes, she is," she said coldly.

            Disher took a step back, eyes widened.

            "So, anyway," Stottlemeyer continued loudly, "we have a few questions to ask and then we'll let you go."

            Sharona described her part of the story:  how long she'd known Darryl, as well as what she knew about him (very little, she realized), while Monk filled in the details.  Stottlemeyer listened quietly and Disher scribbled furiously in his notebook.

            Once the captain took their statements, he told them, "Your sister will be over here to pick you up soon, Sharona."  Then he left the room.  Disher trailed behind, with one last pointed glance at Sharona.  She glowered back.

            "I never thought I'd be so happy to see _her_," Sharona sighed.

            Monk nodded, and neither spoke for a moment.

            Suddenly, Monk jerked his head to one side vigorously, startling Sharona out of her reflections.  "Do you have any Q-tips?" he asked.

            "_What_?"

            "Q-tips," Monk repeated.

            Sharona stared.  "No.  I left my bag…I don't know where I left my bag.  Why do need a Q-tip?"

            "I have water in my ear," Monk said with a pleading tone.

            Sharona blinked and changed the subject.  "How did you get over to my apartment so fast?"

            "I, uh, took a taxi," he admitted hesitantly.

            Sharona gasped.  "A _taxi_?  No, you didn't!  How could you take a taxi?"

            Monk tried to shrug casually.  "I _was_ just in time, wasn't I?"

            Sharona shifted her gaze to a corner of the ceiling.  "Yeah.  I can't believe how horrible Darryl was.  I actually trusted him!"

            "I tried to warn you," Monk said matter-of-factly.

            Sharona shook her head in frustration.  "Why do you always have to be right?"

            "Just lucky, I guess."  Monk didn't so satisfied with himself anymore.

            Sharona sighed.  "When am I going to find someone who isn't a criminal…or married?"

            Monk eyed her for a moment.  "Isn't this the part where I'm supposed to reassure you?"

            Sharona rolled her eyes.  "Yeah.  Thanks."

            The door burst open, revealing a frantic Gail.  "Sharona!  You're all right!"

            "Uh, _yeah_," she retorted.  "You know that guy you invited for dinner last night?   Turns out he's a killer."

            Gail gasped, a little more dramatically than necessary.  "A killer!"  She reconsidered.  "Well, you know, I noticed something odd about him…"

            "Sure you did," Sharona mumbled.

            "Mom!"  Benjy ran into Sharona's arms.  "Aunt Gail said you were in trouble!"

            Sharona buried her face in Benjy's hair for a moment.  "Yeah, but everything's fine now.  Adrian saved me."

            "Good job, Mr. Monk!" Benjy beamed.

            Monk smiled back.

            "Benjy, we're going to have to get the living room redone.  The whole ceiling busted through," Sharona said sadly.

            "Does that mean we get to stay at Aunt Gail's?"

            Sharona glanced up at Gail, then over to Monk.  "Well, I don't know, sweetie.  It'll take a long time for everything to be fixed."

            Monk's eyes darted nervously toward Gail.  "I think I should move back home.  Today."

            "No, Adrian, it'll be fine," Sharona tried to reassure him, placing a hand gently on his arm.

            Gail hesitated.  "All, Baby Peas.  You can stay one more night.  But you're paying for that mineral water!"

            Monk nodded and smiled shyly.

            Sharona snorted.  "Good luck gettin' _that_ outta him."

            Gail looked around.  "Now, where's that copper I saw earlier?"


End file.
